Spark arrester



.March 4, 1941. w F, KIE L, ,R 2,233,613

SPARK ARRESTER (LOUVERED) Filed March 15, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I March 4, 1941. W. F. KIESEL, JR 2,233,613

SPARK ARRESTER (LOUVERED) Filed March 15; 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 4, 1941. w. F. KIESEL, JR I 2,233,613

SPARK ARRESTER (LOUV ERED) Filed March 15, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I lllllllll III HHII llll Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 15,

14 Claims.

This invention relates to 1oc0motive smoke box and stack construction and deals particularly with apparatus arranged within the smoke box and serving as a spark arrester and cinder cleaner for the box.

It is a general object of he present invention to provide a novel and improved smoke box, stack and'spark arrester assembly for locomotives.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to improve the fundamental combination with a smoke box of inside smoke stack, flaring petticoat depending therefrom and coaxial cinder screen in alignment with and above the ex- ,haust nozzle by supplying a superior form and arrangement of netting or screen for preventing the passage of large cinders up the stack.

It is a further object of the invention to provide, in the combination just described, a definite ratio between the total flue area of the boiler and the gas passage area beneath the low er edge of the petticoat to provide a sufficient velocity of flue gases thereunder to ensure a selfcleaning smoke box, i. e., one in which the cinders collected by the netting are continuously urged into the stack under the action of the velocity of these gases and therein broken and ejected.

An important feature of the invention consists in the provision of additional means interposed between the forward flue ends and the stack to act as a target for the cinders and sparks which pass through at least the lower fiues, whereby they are broken by the impact and thrown upwardly, giving them additional time for cooling and disintegration before they are drawn into the stack by way of the lower edge of the petticoat under the draft induced by the blower nozzles.

A further important feature of the invention consists in arranging the screen, which surrounds and extends above the lower nozzle and forms a continuation of the inside stack, in the form of a louvered cylinder comprising blades each set at a substantial angle to the corresponding tangent to the cylinder and extending generally vertically, whereby a spiral motion is imparted to the gases passing therebetween to assist in breaking up the sparks and cinders.

Other andfurther features and objects of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawings and following specification, wherein are disclosed several exemplary embodi- 5' ments of the invention with the understanding 1938, Serial No. 196,075

that such changes, combinations of forms and variations may be made therein as fall Within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal, central, vertical section through the smoke box and associated parts of a steam locomotive;

Figure 2 is a transverse section thereof taken on line 22 of Figure l and looking rearwardly, the stack and associated parts being retained in elevation;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the louvered stack screen on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a modification of the upper end ring;

Figure 6 is an elevation of a modified form of louvered stack screen;

Figure 7 is a View similar to Figure 6 of a further modification;

Figure 8 is a horizontal section on line 38 of Figure 7; while Figures 9 and 10 are elevations of still further modifications of stack screens.

In my prior Patent No. 1,749,487 for Smoke box and stack, there is disclosed a fundamental arrangement on which the present invention constitutes improvements. In that patent there is disclosed the usual smoke box defined by an extension of the boiler barrel, the flue sheet and a front door. Supported on the top of this extension is the external stack, and depending therefrom is the internal stack extending substantially to the middle of the smoke box. From this depends a flaring petticoat which surrounds a cylindrical screen or netting extending from the lower end of the internal stack and fitting concentrically over the exhaust nozzle. The netting is protected from direct impingement of cinders and sparks by the petticoat, under the lower edge of which everything ejected from the stack by the exhaust steam must pass. The screen prevents the passage of large cinders and serves to break them up for future ejection.

The present invention makes use of the same fundamental combination and there is shown in Figures 1 and 2 the cylindrical extension H] of the boiler barrel, at H the flue sheet supporting the forward ends of the flues l2 and the front door l3, which parts define an enclosed space commonly known as the smoke box into which pass all of the exhaust products of combustion from theflues; Supported from" the shell in is a stack [4 having a portion l5 external to the barrel and an inner portion IS, the lower end I! of which is adjacent but above the mid-height of the barrel as shown in the drawings.

Supported from the cylinder saddle (not shown) and connected to the exhaust pipes fro-m the cylinders is the exhaust nozzle I 8 which may take one of the forms disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,726,152 for Exhaust nozzle. This nozzle extends a considerable distance above the bottom wall of the smoke box as shown, although the invention is equally applicable to locomotives having a depressed chamber in the cylinder saddle surrounding the nozzle as shown in my Patent No. 1,749,487, previously referred to Depending from the lower end of the inner stack to a position below the mouth of the nozzle I8 is the flaring conical petticoat 20 which for convenience is made in several parts hinged and bolted together as shown in Figure 2. Suitable mechanism 2! attaches the upper end of the petticoat to the lower end of the internal stack in a gas-tight manner so that all gases coming through the fiues must pass beneath thereinforced lower edge 22 of the petticoat. This lower edge is preferably substantially horizontal. The upper end of the petticoat is of considerably larger diameter than the lower end of the internal stack as clearly shown in Figure 1. The lower edge of the petticoat is so spaced from the bottom of the smoke box that the area under it for the passage of fiue gases is from 1.25 to 2.0 times the net flue area. This ensures a gas velocity adequate to compel the sparks and cinders carried from the fire box to pass up the stack so that no accumulation of cinders occurs in the smoke box It is thus selfclearing or self-cleaning.

Arranged within the petticoat and forming preferably a cylindrical extension of the inner stack is the equivalent of the screen of Patent No. 1,749,487. This is shown at 23 in Figures 1 and 2. Its upper end fits closely within the inner stack where it abuts beneath the extensions of the bolts 2| which prevent it from moving upwardly under the force of the draft. Its di ameter is such that it can be removed through the stack. Its lower end reinforced by a collar or band is shaped to closely fit the ring 25 on the bottom wall of the smoke box Details of construction of this member forming important features of the present invention will be more fully described later.

To assist the screen 23 in breaking up cinders and sparks so that they all can be discharged from the smoke box but only in sizes so small as to be harmless, are one or more bafiles or targets 26 and 21. In most cases only the lower one, 26, will be necessary, but two, as shown, or even more may ticoat.

be used where it is found desirable. Each of these baffles comprises a substantially flat sheet of suitable foraminous material such as netting, screen, reticulated metal, bars, rods, or the like, the plane of the whole being inclined at an angle of substantially 45 as shown in Figure 1 and extending from side toside of the barrel H] as seen in Figure 2. The lower bafile 26 is inclined from a point near the bottom of the front fiue sheet upward toward the stack, preferably ending near the junction of the inner stack and the pet- The second battle and any additional ones are used, may have an overlapping relationship to the first but extent higher upto ensure cinders from the top-most fiues being intercepted.

The construction and inclination of these baffies is such that they act as targets for the cinor netting ders which issue with great velocity from the flues. Most cinders will be broken by the impact and fall through the perforations in the baffles, others more refractory will be thrown upwardly by the inclination of the baflles and be given additional time to cool before falling to the bottom of the smoke box where they were swept up by the high velocity gases passing under the lower edge of the petticoat and thrown with considerable force against the screen 23 or the inner walls of the petticoat and further broken. If they are not reduced to a size suitable to pass through the screen 23 they may again fallback and are continuously thrown upwardly and dropped until they are cooled or broken to a size suitable for passing through the screen and out of the stack with safety.

A bafiie such as 26 is most effective in conjunction with the lower flues through which the major portion of the cinders pass and ensures against any direct impact thereof on the screen 23 where it is exposed below the-lower edge of the petticoat so that it is not. so rapidly eroded as would be the case with direct impact of the cinders from the fines. A sufficient height of baffle 26 to intercept the cinders from the bottom four or five rows of fines is believed to be adequate for most purposes;

The so-called screen 23 of Figures 1 and 21s novel. Instead of being constructed. as a woven netting it comprises a plurality of louvers. These can be struck up from a cylindrical sheet if desired, but it is preferred to buildup the screen from a pair of rings 30 and 31, at the top and bottom respectively of the screen, to the inside of which is attached by welding a plurality of strips 32 forming blades. These strips are approximately by 1%" and each blade is set at an angle to its corresponding tangent to the cylinder or end rings of from 30 to 60. A convenient way of obtaining this inclination isshown in Figures 3 and 4 where the ends 33 of the strips are twisted as at 34. so that where attached by welding to the end rings they are tangent thereto.

A modification of this construction is shown in Figure 5 where the end rings 30. have a horizontalv flange which is stepped or notched as at. 36 tov provide surfaces of the proper inclination for the attachment of the blades 32' which in this case are perfectly straight strips.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6, one or more reinforcing hoops 31: may surround the blades circumferentially and be welded: thereto intermediate the ends thereof, thus confining them rigidly against vibration and maintaining the blade spac ing.

The purpose of this type of louvered screen is to impart a spiral motion to the gasses passing upwardly from the bottom of the petticoat thereby throwing the sparks. outwa-rdlyi against the surrounding surface of the petticoat and against the spark arre'ster to pul'veri ze them.. It will be remembered that if the baflies 26' and 21 are also used they have already aided in this pulverization. The louvered screen, however, has been found quite effective without the bafiles. p

The interior of the petticoat may be provided with ribs or the like to assist in p'ulveri'zation' of the spark thrown thereagainst by the whirling motion imparted to the gases. bythe louver blades.

In Figure 6 is shown a modification of the screen or spark arrester in which the upper and lower bands 40 and H are connected by blades 42' which are somewhat 'i'ncline'dto the vertical as well as, given an angle to the tangents to the cylinder; This'type of blade imparts a spiral helical movement t'othe gases and cinders, and since the openings between the blades face upward the sparks are well broken before passing between the blades 42.

In Figures '7 and 8 is shown an arrangement combining the louvered construction of Figures 1 and v2 with sections of conventional screen or netting. As seen in Figure 8, portions 43 and are equipped with louvers and the intermediate portions 45 and 46 with netting.- With this construction the cinders which are bro-ken up against the louvers may readily pass through the netting where the gas direction is more nearly radially inwardlyi' InFigure 8' there are shown in addition the inside, vertical and radially disposed vanes or ribs. 41 at the jtmctionsofthe louvers and net- "ting, although they may be disposed in any desired manner Within any of the forms of screens shown. It will be seen that with the whirling action of the gases the cinders which pass within the screen will be thrown against these ribs and further broken and pulverized.

The screen can thus be'coarsened to prevent clogglng and yet dangerously large cinders broken up before'issuing from the stack.

Figure 9 shows a further combination of louvers and screen wherein the central portion 50 is provided with louvered blades extending clear around the circumference attached to intermediate rings 5| between which and the end rings 52 are bands of netting 53. This provides passages more nearly radially inwardly through the ends of the screen or spark arrester together with a whirl imparting section intermediate the ends.

1 In Figure 10 the arrangement is the reverse of that seen in Figure 9 with the netting band 55 in the center and louvered end sections 56.

In order to insure the self-clearing feature of the smoke box the lower baffle 26 is spaced slightly above the floor of the smoke box so that the pull of the draft draws any sparks or cinders which fall behind this bafile toward the stack where they are picked up and ejected.

The various combinations of louvers and netting may obviously be further combined or changed to suit conditions in different types of locomotives with different shapes, sizes and relative proportions of the smoke box, stack and other parts.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l "1. A spark arrester assembly for locomotives comprising in combination, a smoke box, a smoke stack extending through a wall thereof, an exhaust nozzle at the bottom thereof, a reticulated, tubular member adapted to be mounted within the smoke box as a continuation of the smoke stack and to extend around and below the exhaust nozzle, said member being formed of a plurality of louver blades extending lengthwise of the stack and a flaring petticoat closely fitting the lower end of said stack surrounding the upper portion of said tubular member and spaced therefrom radially.

2. A spark arrester assembly for locomotives comprising in combination, a smoke box, a smoke stack extending through a wall thereof, an exhaust nozzle at the bottom thereof, a reticulated, tubular member adapted to be mounted within the flue gas receiving smoke box as a pendant tween the boiler flues and the petticoat.

continuation of the smoke stack, to extend over the exhaust nozzle and down to the bottom of the smoke .box, said member being formed of a plurality of louver blades extending lengthwise of the stack, the plane of each blade extendingat a 5 substantial angle to the corresponding tangent to the tubular member, a flaring petticoat surrounding and spaced from the upper portion of the said tubular member whereby flue gases are delivered substantially longitudinally thereof, said member having a vertical height greater than one-Half the vertical height of the smoke box.

3. A spark arrester assembly for locomotives having horizontal boiler fines entering a smoke box comprising in combination, a smoke stack extending through the smoke box wall, an exhaust nozzle at the bottom of the smoke box, a reticulated, tubular member adapted to be mounted within the smoke box extending from the bottom thereof around the exhaust nozzle as a continuation of the smoke stack, said member being formed of a plurality of louver blades extending lengthwise of the stack, the plane of each blade extending at a substantial angle to the corresponding tangent to the tubular member, a flaring petticoat surrounding and spaced from the upper portion of the said member whereby flue gases are delivered substantially longitudinally thereof and means to intercept cinders directed toward the member from at least the lower-most boiler flues.

4. A spark arrester assembly for locomotives having horizontal boiler flues entering a smoke box comprising in combination, a smoke stack extending through the smoke box wall, an exhaust nozzle at the bottom of the smoke box, a reticulated, tubular member adapted to-be mounted within the smoke box extending from the bottom thereof around the exhaust nozzle as a continuation of the smoke stack, said member being formed of a plurality of louver blades extending lengthwise of the stack, the'plane of each blade extending at a substantial angle to the corresponding tangent to the tubular member, a flaring petticoat surrounding and spaced from the upper portion of the said member whereby flue gases are delivered substantially longitudinally thereof and a baflle of foraminous material be- 5. The combination with a locomotive smoke 50 box, stack and exhaust nozzle, of a spark arrester of generally tubular form sized for insertion through the stack and for extension from the bottom thereof to the base of the smoke box around said nozzle, a petticoat depending from said stack, surrounding the part of the arrester above the nozzle and serving to direct gases generally upwardly around the outside of the arrester, said arrester being formed of louver blades extending generally in the line of flow of the gases through the petticoat and each having its general plane intermediate that of a tangent plane and a radius plane intersecting in the periphery of the spark arrester tube.

6. The combination with a locomotive smoke box, forward flue sheet, stack and exhaust nozzle, of a spark arrester of generally tubular form sized for insertion through the stack and for extension from the bottom thereof to the base of the smoke 70 box around said nozzle, a petticoat depending from said stack, surrounding the part of the arrester above the nozzle and serving to direct gases generally upwardly around the outside of the arrester, said arrester comprising longitudi- 75 lar spark arrester extending from the base of f the other across the smoke box between the flue nally extending, circumferentially spaced blades, each having its general plane inclined to a. tangent to the arrester passing through the blade, and a forwardly and upwardly inclined perforated baffle between the flue sheet and stack, said baffle,

sheet to deflect all cinders from the lower flues upwardly away from said arrester, said baffle having openings therethrough for the passage of gases.

8. The combination with a locomotive smoke box, forward. flue sheet, stack, inner stack projection and exhaust nozzle, of a perforated tubuthe smoke box to mid-height thereof around the nozzle the upper end of the arrester being con tiguous to the stack projection, and a plurality of spaced, perforated baflles extending one above sheet and stack projection, the lowermost bafile clearing the bottom of the smoke box near the flue sheet and being inclined forwardly and upwardly.

9. A spark arrester for use in locomotives between the exhaust nozzle and stack comprising a pair of spaced rings, spaced flat louver blades extending between said rings, each blade having its ends attached to said rings, the said ends being substantially tangential to said rings, and a twisted portion in each blade adjacent each end to position the intermediate portion at a substantial angle to said ends to impart a whirling motion to gases passing to and through the louvers.

10. A spark arrester for use in locomotives between the exhaust nozzle and stack comprising a pair of spaced rings, spaced flat louver blades extending between said rings, each blade having its ends attached to said rings, the said ends being substantially tangential to said rings, and a twisted portion in each blade adjacent each; end to position the intermediate portion at a substantial angle to said ends to impart a whirling mo- -tion to gases passing to and through the louvers and a substantially radial vane in said arrester to break up cinders thrown against it by said whirling gases.

11. A spark arrester for use in locomotivesbetween the exhaust nozzle and stack comprising a pair of spaced rings, spaced flat louver blades extending betweensaid rings, each blade having its ends attached to said rings, the said ends being substantially tangential to said rings, and a twisted portion in each. blade adjacent each end to position the intermediate portion at a substantial angle to said ends to impart a whirling motion to gases passing to and through the louvers and a plurality of substantially radial vanes extending inwardly from the periphery of said arrester to be impacted by cinders passing between the louvers;

12;. The combination with a locomotive smoke box, forward flue sheet, stack and exhaust nozzle, of a spark, arrester of generally tubular form sized for insertion through the stack and for extension from the bottom thereof to the base of the. stack around said nozzle, a petticoat depending from said stack, surrounding. the part of the arrester above the nozzle and serving to direct gases generally upwardly around the outside of the arrester, said arrester comprising longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced blades, each having its general. plane inclined to a tangent to the arrester, passing through the blade, and a forwardly-and upwardly inclinedperforated bafile between the flue sheet and stack, said bafiie extending: across, thesmoke box and being arranged to intercept cinders directed toward that portion of the arrester extending below the petticoat, the lower edge of, said petticoat; being so spaced from the bottom of the smoke box that the area for passage, of gases thereunder is between 1.2 and 20 times the total flue area of the boiler of the locomotive whereby the gas velocity is adequate to keep the smoke box clear of cinders. at all times.

13. In a locomotive having a smoke box, front flue sheet with horizontal flues extending therethrough in rows, stack and exhaust nozzle located on the floor of the smoke box,a reticulated cinder baflie plate between the front flue sheet and the axis of. the stack, said baflle being located to intercept cinders passing through at least the I bafile plate between the. front flue sheet and the axis ofthe stack, said baille being located to intercept cinders passing through at least the four bottom-most rows of flues in the flue sheet and inclined forwardly and upwardly froma position near but above the floor of the smoke box just forwardof the said flue sheet.

s WILLIAM F. KIESEL, JR. 

